Tuesday, December 30, 2014

A trip to Bangkok would not be complete without a visit to Chatuchak
Market which is a 27 acre open air marketplace. Chatuchak Market is
open on Saturdays and Sundays and attracts crowds of an estimated
200,000 per day.

The
easiest way to get there is to take the Sky Train to Mo Chit which is
the last stop on the line. After exiting the train, follow the crowd.

Before
entering, make a stop at the information center to pick up a free map
of the market. It is divided into sections based on the merchandise
being sold and helps in finding your way around. Once inside, the clock
tower can be used as an orienting landmark or as a meeting place.

Prepare
to haggle as it is expected and the vendors will think you're strange
if you pay the asking price of their items. Personally, I dislike
haggling as it makes me uncomfortable, but even I gave it a go. I must
admit it was rather satisfying to walk away with my purchases after
paying quite a bit less than the asking price!

Everything under the sun can be found here from clothing to jewelry to art to home decor to pet supplies and much, much more.

There
are also food vendors throughout the market as well as a food court
offering delicious food and treats like vanilla ice cream served in a
coconut shell. Yum!

When
visiting the market, keep in mind that it can be hot and crowded. Wear
light clothing, comfortable shoes and drink plenty of water to stay
hydrated. Put yourself in the right frame of mind for dealing with
large crowds and a lot of noise. Don't be in a hurry and plan to spend
the day. Having been there twice we probably won't go back anytime
soon, but it was definitely an experience not to be missed!

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Before leaving for Thailand, I had heard all kinds of horror stories about bathrooms in Asia.

Overall,
it's been a pleasant surprise to find that the facilities in our
apartment, the malls, bars and restaurants have been western style flush
toilets. All of the public bathrooms have been relatively clean. One
of the things I'd read was to be prepared by carrying your own tissue
because toilet paper is rare. I've not found that to be the case; even
the most basic of bathrooms here have had plenty of toilet paper.

When
asking where the bathroom or restroom is when out in public, try to
remember that unless you ask for the "toilet", most Thai people are not
going to know what you want. You will get a puzzled look instead of
assistance.

The bathrooms at the shopping mall,
Terminal 21, are on the high end of the scale with completely enclosed
stalls, built in bidets and seat warmers.

The dash board has the complexity of a jetliner cockpit.

There is even sanitizer for the toilet seat next to the toilet.

Plumbing
in Thailand and most of Asia is not generally set-up to handle toilet
paper. That is why there is a bin next to the toilet - used TP goes in
there. Yes, I found this rather difficult to do at first, but you get
used to it. The alternative is backed up plumbing, something none of us
want to face. The rule of thumb is that if there is a bin or trash can
next to the toilet, put your used paper in it.

There are plenty of signs posted to remind people of this.

Don't put other trash in the bowl either.

There
are people from all over the world who come to Thailand. Apparently
many of them have never encountered western style flush toilets. They
are used to squat toilets. There are signs for them too.

We
took a trip to China Town one day and it was there that I encountered
the dreaded squatter. After staring at it in a sort of terror stricken
fascination, I opted to hover over the flush toilet that had no seat in
the stall next to the squatter. All western women are skilled in the
act of hovering as it's not unusual to find filthy public toilets that
you don't want to touch any part of your body in the United States.

The
day may come when I have no choice but to use one of these, so when we
returned to our apartment from the China Town outing, I went online to
learn how to use a squatting toilet. I found this article which
explains it better than I ever could. How to Use a Squat Toilet

Out
in the countryside is a different story where western style plumbing
is rare. Travel out of large cities such as Bangkok with the
expectation that you will find yourself using a squat toilet or very
possibly just a hole in the ground. My motto is to be a girl scout and
prepare as best you can for anything - stuff a few tissues in your bag.
You'll be glad you did!

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Here we are spending Christmas in Bangkok. To say that we are far
from home where it's cold and snowy is an understatement. Between the
beautiful warm weather and all of the new things to see in our adopted
home, it's kind of hard to remember that it's December and that
Christmas is rapidly approaching.

Approximately 90
percent of the Thai people are Buddhists and don't celebrate Christmas
which is a Christian holiday. However, they like some of the holiday
traditions such as decorations, Christmas carols and Santa hats. I
can't help thinking that part of the reason for the holiday cheer is for
the benefit of the Westerners who live in or who are vacationing in
Thailand.

Whatever the reason, the decorations are beautifully done and a small sampling is posted below:

Monday, December 22, 2014

Learning about and eating the fruit found in Thailand has been the
most enjoyable experience. Along with the expected pineapple, mango,
papaya and bananas, there are many more exotic fruits that are
unfamiliar to my eyes.

It seemed that the best way to
get started was to buy several different kinds of fruit from the fruit
sellers and conduct a taste test. Clockwise from the top is Mangosteen,
Rambuten (Hairy Fruit) and Rose Apple.

Jack Fruit has a sweet flavor and firm
flesh. The bulbs grow inside of pods that average in weight from 15 to
20 pounds but that can weigh as much as 100 pounds. It is believed to
be the largest tree borne fruit. It's only downside is a slight smell
of decay, but it isn't hard to get past the odor because the fruit is so
delicious.

Fruit sellers cut the bulbs from the fibrous interior of the pods which also contain a sticky white sap:

Their efforts yield these delicious results:

Mangosteens
are a round purple fruit. The outer skin is rather thick and rubbery.
Once the rind is removed the fruit inside is white and segmented
similarly to an orange. The fruit is sweet and juicy and the segments
often contain up to four seeds, although I haven't found any seeds
in the mangosteen that I've eaten.

Rambutens
or Hairy Fruit are round and the leather like outer skin is covered
with pliable spines which look like hairs. The colors of this fruit
range from pale green to yellow to red. To prepare the rambuten, make a
1/4 inch cut all the way around the fruit and peel off the skin. It
comes away very easily revealing a white fruit that looks like a small
egg. I found the easiest way to prepare the fruit was to slice it into
quarters and cut away the pit inside. The texture and
flavor of the rambuten is very much like a grape.

The
rose apple resembles an apple in color and skin type, but is shaped
more like a pear. The flesh is white and crisp and juicy with a mild
sweet flavor reminiscent of an apple. The texture is somewhere between an
apple and watermelon.

My
absolute favorite of all the fruits I have tried is the Dragon Fruit.
It is oval shaped with a bright green and pink outer skin. The fruit
inside is white and full of tiny black seeds. To prepare Dragon Fruit,
simple slice into quarters and peel off the skin which easily comes
away. The flesh is similar in texture to a pear with a bit of
watermelon added for good measure, while the seeds add a wonderful
crunch. The flavor is light, mild and very refreshing.

If
you ever have the chance to try any of these tropical fruits, I highly
recommend that you seize the opportunity. They are are nutritious and
delicious. With only a few weeks to spend in Thailand, I am making it a
point to eat at least one of these tropical delights every day.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

It's hard to believe we've been in Thailand just over a week as we're
feeling so comfortable and at home in our Bangkok neighborhood. The
local people now recognize us and some know our names. We walk
everywhere and only take the Sky Train when necessary.

Come take a stroll with us around the neighborhood.

The vegetable seller's cart:

The broom peddler:

One
of the many food vendors - so good! When eating street food look for
vendors who are selling to Thai people and who have people waiting in
line. Those are good indications that the prices are fair, the food is
tasty and that the food is fresh and safe to eat.

The
flower man. The color and beauty of these flowers are spectacular. I
didn't get his name, but he requested that I take his picture.

Ice deliveries to the local bars and clubs. With workouts like these, there is no need for a gym membership!

The bug cart (yep, I mean insects). I'm hoping to work up the courage to try these.

One
thing I wasn't expecting was a modern Western style grocery store.
Local foods are available as well as imported brands such as Oreo
cookies, Heinz Ketchup and Hershey's chocolate.

A neighborhood pub:

We buy most of our fruit from this fruit stand:

This
lady is the neighborhood seamstress. She sets up her sewing machine on
the sidewalk first thing in the morning and does alterations/repairs until dark.

This gentleman can be found at the same corner every day repairing shoes. He has no shortage of customers.

It wouldn't be a neighborhood without a 7-11!

I
hope you enjoyed this tour through our Bangkok neighborhood. It's a
lively, diverse, friendly and endlessly intriguing place. We are
looking forward to discovering and learning more about it over the next
few weeks.